Case study: premium hatchbacks

0 to 100 km/h: 9,67 sec Top speed: 210 km/h Power: 100 kw Torque: 220 N.m CO : 129 g/km CAR fuel index: 6,6 L/100 km 2

A RARITY these days, this BMW is what it says on the tin. The badge reads 116i and it does have a 1,6-litre turbopetrol engine.

The first-generation 1 Series was criticised for its cramped rear seating, but that was addressed somewhat with this redesign to free up an additional 21 mm leg space and the luggage capacity was boosted to 248 litres. New, the 1 Series cost more than the A180, but less than the A3 1,4T FSI.

The BMW is rear-wheel driven and standard fitment includes run-flat tyres, which means there was no spare wheel is supplied. Although not standard, infotainment screens were all the rage in 2013 and most used buys will have these fitted.

An interesting difference, apart from the rear-wheel drive, is that BMW decided not to opt for more complex dual-clutch transmissions for this model. Instead, it uses a conventional epicyclic gearbox with torque converter. This eight-speed transmission works very well and is smooth and quick shifting. Of this trio, the 116i boasts the best acceleration to 100 km/h in 9,67 seconds, while the other two were just over 10 seconds. On the other hand, the fuel consumption is the worst, but not by too much; 6,7 L/100 km as opposed to 6,6 for the Benz and 6,0 for the Audi.

Issues with these cars are few but some mentioned coil packs, clutch judder and front tyre wear.